A Jubo Dal worker was shot and hacked to death in Raozan of Chattogram, after being lured to a market over suspicion of motorcycle theft and previous enmity, police said on Monday.
Four people have been arrested in connection with the killing of Mohammad Karim, Chattogram District Superintendent of Police Masud Alam told a press briefing at his office in the city’s Nasirabad No 2 Gate area.
According to police, Karim was killed between 8pm and 8:15pm on 3 September in the Keranihat area under Urkirchar Union of Raozan Upazila.
Around 10 days before the killing, a motorcycle belonging to Asgar Ali, maternal uncle of prime suspect Parvez, was stolen. Parvez suspected Karim of stealing the motorcycle and demanded its return, but Karim denied any involvement.
Police said Parvez, Selim and others subsequently planned to kill Karim over the motorcycle theft suspicion, their alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade and previous rivalries.
On the evening of the killing, Karim was lured to Keranihat Bazar. Five to six armed assailants arrived in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, shot him and then repeatedly hacked him with a machete before fleeing, according to police.
Chattogram District Police later arrested four suspects from Chattogram city and Hathazari.
The arrestees are Raozan’s Urkirchar resident Md Selim, 50, Syed Mohammad Shukkur, 27, Md Javed, 28, and Md Alamin, 29.
Police arrested Selim, described as a key mastermind, and Alamin from South Madarsha in Hathazari, while Shukkur and Javed were arrested from the Kaptai Rastar Matha area under Chandgaon.
Based on information provided by the arrestees, police recovered a bloodstained machete allegedly used in the killing, two firearms and two rounds of ammunition from an abandoned cattle farm belonging to absconding suspect Parvez.
Karim’s wife, Bilkis Akter, filed a murder case against unidentified people with Raozan Police Station the day after the killing.
Police said Karim was accused in at least 10 cases involving theft, mugging, drugs and rape. Parvez, described by police as one of the main masterminds of the killing, faces around 18 to 20 criminal cases, including drug-related charges.
Masud Alam said a joint team of the District Detective Branch (DB) and Raozan Police Station identified those involved using intelligence and technology.
He said the four arrestees admitted to direct involvement in the killing. Police operations are continuing to arrest Parvez and two to three other absconding suspects.
